Lounging Around, Part III

Posted on Sat Nov 29th, 2025 @ 3:13am by Lieutenant Jean-Baptiste Dorsainvil & Ensign Wrenleigh Reed

1,410 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Peril at the Unification Accords
Location: Wrenleigh Reed's Quarters, Deck 13
Timeline: MD 10, 0845 Hours

Meanwhile, on the other side of the screen Evan sat there. He'd dropped in on his sister in the aftermath of a fun filled morning with Jean-Baptiste, a guy he knew and was friends with, and neither of them had decided to tell him about it.

Clearing his throat, he spoke, "I don't know what's going on here, but can someone explain this, please?"

"Give me one moment, Ev," Jean-Baptiste said, holding up an index finger.

JB grinned at Wren, as though he were holding onto a secret. He sat down next to her, taking her hands in his. "Oh, my love," he said, stroking her knuckles. "Do you remember Istanbul?"

The coffee was all but forgotten when JB took Wren's hands in his and she looked at him, her blue-grey eyes searching his dark ones. He'd just said my love and it wasn't even in French this time! "Back when I was a teenager, I vaguely remember going to a party that was a diplomatic affair..."

The memories were vague about that night, she'd attended quite a few parties and social events with her father over the years, and Istanbul was one of about five that year, so they all kind of blended together at a point.

Evan nodded and kept his mouth shut as he watched his sister remember the night.

Jean-Baptiste nodded slowly as he watched Wren working through her childhood memories. "I don't remember a great deal about it, but the gala in Istanbul stands out in my mind because I met a girl with red hair. She was you. A blue and gold dress." He sighed. "And my sister threw up on my pants later that night."

Evan laughed at the latter part of the statement, earning him a look from both his sister and Jean. He held his hands up in defense and made the motion of zipping his mouth shut, "Okay, I'll shut up. Forget I'm here."

Wren looked back to JB, an almost blank expression on her face as she thought back to the gala and sifted through the memories. The moment came back to her: She met a boy and introduced herself to him while searching for her brothers because they'd ran off. He was being awkward as they talked and told her he didn't like it there and that he wanted to go home... go back to Haiti because he missed it so.

The memories hit Wren in the chest and it weirdly, it made her heart ache, causing her eyes to shimmer with the promise of tears. Not sad, happy. She remembered being disappointed that she'd never gotten another chance to see him again, even after they'd promised to come visit each other and their polar opposite homes.

He'd introduced himself as Jean to her, not Jean-Baptiste as he'd done when they'd met at the bar on shoreleave just those few (days/weeks) ago. Wren let the world fall away so it was just the two of them as she moved her feet under her to sit up more and take back one of her hands to run it down his cheek.

"You're the boy I met back then who I never saw again." She said quietly with the hint of a smile. "No wonder you've been so familiar to me since we met... again."

JB smiled and closed his eyes. Her touch was so soothing--soft fingers stroking his face. The universe certainly had a sense of humour... and irony.

"I..." Wren took a moment to breathe, and then lightly punched him in the arm with a laugh, "You said you'd visit and never did!" She wasn't angry, just putting on a sulk.

"I do have a question for you both though." She looked between both JB and Evan, daring either of them to answer it. "How do you two know each other?"

"You can take this one, bro." Evan said with a smile, leaving JB to speak on behalf of both of them.

Jean-Baptiste looked back to Evan for a moment. His eyes settled on Wren's freckled cheeks as he recounted his link to her brother. "We knew each other back at the Academy. Evan and I came to know each other in second-year classes." JB's eyebrows raised suddenly. "And I knew Tanner through boxing."

The admission of knowing her brothers raised more questions for Wren, "So since you know both of these idiots," she ignored the sound of protest from Evan, "does that mean you're familiar with the rest of my family too?" Like her father.

"I know he's an ambassador," JB said with a questioning look. "Really, I only know those idiots."

"I'm not an idiot," Evan grumbled. A social call to his sister to find out if she'd heard from their brother had gone quite unexpectedly, but he was happy enough to be there to witness the realisation of the two before him.

Ignoring her brother, Wren looked at JB with a softer smile than she had before. "Well that's good, means they're people I can actually introduce you to down the line without having to say you know them already."

JB intertwined his fingers with hers and lifted their hands to his face. Smiling at Wren, he took the time to individually kiss each of her fingers. "And I'm looking forward to it," he said softly, not taking his eyes from hers.

"One day," Wren smiled. It was too early to be getting the feeling that she loved him, but she did, it just wouldn't be said out loud for a long time yet.

Breaking the moment between them, Evan interjected, "So are you two dating or what?"

The moment was gone and Wren snapped out of the loved up look she had going on. She could feel the blush rising up her cheeks as she bit her bottom lip and turned to face the screen.

"Um," she started but faltered before covering it with a laugh and pulling JB's shirt down a little further. "We, uh, haven't really got to that part, I don't think? We've just been, um, getting to know each other first?"

JB turned to the screen, offering Evan a thin-lipped smile. In the name of all things sacred, the last thing he wanted to telegraph to Evan Reed was that he'd been frequently canoodling with his big sister. And so he supposed his best course of action would be to stay silent and wait for the siblings to say their goodbyes.

Picking up on what JB was feeling, and getting the feeling that the conversation was going south fast, Wren quickly said, "Can we be on a call later on where you tell me what's happening with Tanner? Because I think we," she motioned between her and JB, "have a few things to talk about."

Evan rolled his eyes and nodded, "Sure, I'll give you a call back later tonight, around 1900 hours?" Wren nodded and he added, "Nice seeing you again, Jean." He waved good bye before the screen went blank.

Wren exhaled loudly as she back into the sofa and hid her face in his shirt. "Good lord, I was not expecting any of that today!" Once she came out from the shirt, she looked at JB, "Are there going to be any other surprises for us or about us today?"

JB put his arms around Wren, gently leaning his forehead into hers. "I may have broken your shower," he said finally. "Might want to call maintenance, cherie."

A loud sigh escaped her along with a laugh, "JB!" Wren kissed him before moving out from under him and shaking her head, "Mi amore, I'm not even going to ask how you did that, but it looks like I'm showering at yours then." She kissed him again, slowly and deliberately.

When their lips parted, JB touched her cheek, letting his thumb stroke her jawline softly.

"Of course."

"Let me find some of my clothes and then we can head out." Wren let his touch linger a moment longer before dashing off to get her things ready.

---

Lieutenant Jean-Baptiste Dorsainvil
Assistant Chief Security Officer
USS Astrea


Ensign Wrenleigh Reed
Diplomatic Officer
USS Astrea

 

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